Umm… You Don’t Want to Look in There

untitledMy family has come to learn the hard way that I essentially view my home and garden as one big science lab.  They are likely to stumble across experiments either already in progress, or getting ready for one, in a variety of locations inside and outside the house.  What did you expect from a science teacher?

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(Mostly) Traditional Irish Soda Bread

20190314_212550erdMy father’s family is primarily a mix of Scottish and Irish heritage that dates back to Colonial America at least as far back as the 1600s.  By now our connection to much of the traditions of these two cultures is pretty much gone.

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Fava (Greek Yellow Split Pea Spread)

20190310_133339It is amazing what one can create in the world of food with only the simplest of ingredients.  Proof again that complex, obscure, and expensive materials are not what makes a cook great.

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Greek Kumquat “Spoon Sweet”

20190307_175732If there is ever a global shortage on sugar or honey, I’m not sure what most Greeks are going to do.  Greeks really love their sweets.

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Spinach Avgolemono Soup

20190303_212420Be prepared, I bought a large (really large) bag of spinach a while back and needed to use it all before losing it to the slime gods.  So that means you’re going to see a few recipes using spinach (kind of like when I made a monster load of pesto over the summer!).

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When Company Arrives Unexpectedly

20190224_081449_MomentDespite the menacing appearance of this shady group of uninvited visitors, they are actually pretty harmless.  If anything, they were more comical than anything else.

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Homemade Traditional Mizithra Cheese

20190219_203149If you’re from the West Coast, you likely know about mizithra cheese from The Old Spaghetti Factory’s browned butter and mizithra cheese pasta (which is really good).  What you may not know is that this cheese has a history that goes back thousands of years.  That should tell you how easy it is to make if ancient Greeks could do so without modern kitchens!

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Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis)

20180413_180142ijklmGarden Sage is an all-in-one plant offering both looks as well as functionality.  Spires of tubular, lavender colored flowers sit above a sea of grey-green and fragrant leaves in masse each spring.  And of course, those leaves become a tasty addition for your kitchen spice rack.

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Rizogalo (Greek Rice Pudding)

20190207_213137Most rizogalo recipes will have the same ingredients and the same really long cooking time.  Be a rebel and follow me.  Why, you may ask?  Because the stuff tastes amazing, that’s why.

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